René Duvillier

Trained at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris under Charles Guérin, René Duvillier developed a body of work that ranges from landscapes and imaginary figures to abstract series shaped by circular forms, loops and motifs associated with the elements. A French painter born in Oyonnax in 1919 and deceased in Paris in 2002, he first received his artistic grounding within his family: his father, a drawing teacher, taught him painting techniques and took him to visit museums. From 1935 to 1938, he attended Charles Guérin’s class at the Beaux-Arts de Paris. Taken prisoner during the Second World War, he organised an exhibition of non-figurative drawings inspired by Genesis in 1943 at the Krakow-Kobierzyn stalag. Settling in Paris in 1945, he then painted landscapes and imaginary women, shown in group exhibitions.

In 1948, his interest in Robert Delaunay’s circular compositions led him back to abstraction; his meeting with the critic Charles Estienne in 1952 marked an important stage, and Estienne invited him to join the «Peintres de la Nouvelle École de Paris», presented at the Galerie de Babylone. In 1953, Duvillier took part in «Younger European Painters» at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, then presented his first solo exhibition in 1955 at the Galerie À l’Étoile scellée in Paris. In 1957–1958, the «Monochromes» series narrowed his palette to blue, black and violet; the liquid pouring of the paint enabled him to achieve a degree of transparency on the canvas. The «Traverses», «Vents» and «Orages» series appeared in 1961, bringing back the loop motif, followed in 1962 by «Javelots de la mer». His stay in New York in 1964–1965 was preceded by drawings made during the transatlantic flight; these led into the «Cycle aérien» of 1965. References to the eye continued notably in the «Les Regards» series (1967), while «La Vulve de la mer» dates from 1977.

Several works are listed in French museums: «Diables de mer XV», from «Javelots de la mer» (1962), at the musée d’Évreux; «Traverse dans l’orage» (1962) and «Vol en ciel, vol en mer» (1992) at the musée des beaux-arts de Brest; and an untitled work from 1972 at the musée d’art de Toulon.

Works recorded at auction

Piguet

"Oedipus"

Acrylic

Original catalogue wording

"Oedipe"
acrylique

Catalogue period : 2024-09-12 — 2024-09-25

Published result : 500 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 1000–1500

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Genève Enchères · Lot 108

Le lunatique

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Le lunatique
huile sur toile

Catalogue period : 2021-04-27

Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed

Estimate : CHF 1000–1500

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Dobiaschofsky · Lot 2962

“Violet Wave”

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

"Vague violette".
Öl auf Leinwand

Catalogue period : 2017-11-11

Published result : 400 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 600

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DognyAuction

Tête chercheuse N° 2

Acrylic

Original catalogue wording

Tête chercheuse N° 2
acrylique

Date to be documented

Published result : 3119 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

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DognyAuction

René DUVILLIER (1919-2002), 'Bleu - Abstrait'

Gouache

Original catalogue wording

René DUVILLIER (1919-2002), 'Bleu - Abstrait'
gouache

Date to be documented

Published result : 412 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

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DognyAuction

La suspension des armes

Acrylic

Original catalogue wording

La suspension des armes
acrylique

Date to be documented

Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed

Estimate : CHF 4000–6000

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DognyAuction

La suspension des armes

Acrylic

Original catalogue wording

La suspension des armes
acrylique

Date to be documented

Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed

Estimate : CHF 2500–3000

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